Eating Disorder Treatment

If you suffer from an eating disorder, the symptoms can be frustrating and debilitating. It can negatively affect your health, emotions and ability to function in important areas of your life.
At KlearMinds, our London eating disorder therapists can help you understand and change problematic eating issues and symptoms. We can empower you to develop a toolbag of strategies and techniques which can enable you to positively improve your relationship with food and feel more confident and capable in dealing with life’s challenges.

Do you need to find an eating disorder therapist? With over 30 years experience, we can expertly match you with a therapist who works best for you. Making finding the right therapy easier.

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Therapy for Eating Disorders

What Are Eating Disorders?

Eating disorders are where the control of food is used as a way to cope with difficult situations or feelings. Eating disorders take many forms – including anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, and avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID). Unhealthy eating behaviours associated with these disorders include restrictive eating or avoidance of certain foods, binge eating, purging by vomiting or laxative misuse or compulsive exercise. These behaviours can become driven in ways that appear similar to an addiction.

Eating disorders can also be linked with other issues such as depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, alcohol and substance misuse. Eating disorders frequently appear during the teen years or young adulthood but may also develop later in life and can affect people of all ages, racial/ethnic backgrounds, body weights, and genders.

How Does Eating Disorder Therapy Help?

A KlearMinds therapist can provide you with a safe space to explore and understand what drives your eating disorder and how to stop it from negatively impacting your life. Our eating disorder therapists can help you:

  • Identify and address the underlying issues that may be driving your eating problems
  • Recognize and change thinking patterns that can fuel eating disorder behaviours
  • Alleviate negative thought patterns connected to your body and self esteem
  • Develop the skills to manage and reduce problematic symptoms
  • Empower you with new ways to cope with stressful situations
  • Develop more healthy eating behaviours and patterns
  • Address other mental health concerns which often co-occur with eating disorders, such as depression, anxiety and low self-esteem

Eating Disorder Therapy Reviews

Get Help with Anxiety & Change Your Outlook
…I was very nervous about starting therapy…I didn’t know where to start or what to expect…After and initial chat, I ended up having sessions with Maggie…which is where my outlook changed. I struggled with anxiety around eating…I immediately felt at ease with Maggie…I am in a much better space now and couldn’t have done that without Maggie. Not only did she help me sort through my thoughts but has….
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Disordered Eating Signs & Symptoms

The symptoms of eating disorders can vary, however, some common signs and symptoms linked with eating disorders are:

Emotional signs:

  • Using food as a source of comfort or as self-punishment
  • Feeling out of control around food
  • Mood changes, such as being withdrawn, anxious or depressed
  • Feelings of disgust, shame or guilt about eating habits
  • Meal-time anxiety
  • Obsession with weight, body appearance or food

Physical symptoms:

  • Weight changes, rapid gain or loss
  • Lightheadedness, feeling faint or racing heart
  • Digestion problems, such as bloating, constipation or diarrhoea
  • Constantly feeling tired and not sleeping well
  • Pain, tingling or numbness in your arms and legs (poor circulation)
  • Feeling cold, even in warm weather
  • Disturbed menstrual cycles
  • Health problems

Social signs:

  • Difficulty concentrating on your work, studies or hobbies
  • Unable to be spontaneous, to travel or to go anywhere new
  • Withdrawing from your usual social activities
  • Avoiding restaurants or eating in public

Linked issues/signs

  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
  • Phobias of certain foods
  • Issues with self-esteem and body image
  • Forms of self-harm – you may see your eating problem as a form of self-harm, or may hurt yourself in other ways too
  • Body dysmorphic disorder, which is an anxiety disorder linked to body image

4 Common Types of Eating Disorders:

Bulimia: Characterised by binge eating followed by purging. During bingeing, people feel like they have no control over their eating and that they can’t stop. After eating, due to guilt, shame or an intense fear of weight gain, purging is done to get rid of calories. Common purging behaviours include: forced vomiting, fasting, using laxatives, diuretics or enemas and excessive exercise. Bulimia also involves being preoccupied with weight and body shape, with severe and harsh self-judgement of personal appearance.

Symptoms may appear very similar to those of anorexia or binge eating. Side effects of bulimia may include: an inflamed and sore throat, swollen salivary glands, worn tooth enamel, tooth decay, acid reflux, gut irritation and dehydration. In severe cases, bulimia can also create an imbalance in levels of electrolytes, such as sodium, potassium, and calcium. This can cause a stroke or heart attack.

Binge-eating disorder (BED): Often involves eating large amounts of food rapidly and until uncomfortably full, despite not feeling hungry. When bingeing, it feels like there’s no control over eating. After a binge, people often feel a great deal of guilt, disgust or shame. People with BED have symptoms similar to those of bulimia, however, they do not restrict calories or use purging behaviours after a binge eating episode.

Often after a binge-eating episode occurs, a person with BED fears gaining weight and tries to severely limit eating for periods of time. This then often leads to increased urges to binge, setting up an unhealthy cycle. Embarrassment can lead to eating alone to hide bingeing. People with BED may eat more ultra-processed foods than whole foods. This may increase the risk of complications such as heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.

Anorexia: Characterised by an abnormally low body weight, an intense fear of gaining weight and distorted body image. To prevent weight gain or to continue losing weight, people with anorexia may control calorie intake by vomiting after eating or by misusing laxatives, diet aids, diuretics or enemas. They may also try to lose weight by exercising excessively. No matter how much weight is lost, the person continues to fear weight gain, often equating thinness with self-worth.

Obsessive-compulsive symptoms are often present. For instance, many people with anorexia are preoccupied with constant thoughts about food. Some may obsessively collect recipes or hoard food. They may also have difficulty eating in public and have a strong desire to control their environment, limiting their ability to be spontaneous. Over time, people living with anorexia may experience brittle hair and nails, thinning bones, and infertility. In severe cases, anorexia can result in heart, brain, or multi-organ failure and death.

Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (AFRID): People with ARFID experience a lack of interest in eating or a distaste for certain smells, tastes, colours, textures, or temperatures. Common symptoms include: avoidance or restriction of food that prevents the person from eating enough calories or nutrients, eating habits that interfere with typical social functions, such as eating with others, weight loss or poor development for age and height, nutrient deficiencies or dependence on supplements or tube feeding.

People with this disorder don’t have fears about gaining weight or body size. They may however worry about what can happen when eating. For example, they may have a fear of choking or vomiting, or they may worry about getting stomach problems. Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder can be diagnosed in all ages, but it’s more common in younger children. The disorder can result in major weight loss or failure to gain weight in childhood. This may lead to problems with growth, development and functioning in daily life.

Meet Our Experienced Therapists

Katie Rose, Psychotherapist MA Integrative Arts Psychotherapy, PG Cert emotional wellbeing, BA (hons), Cert Counselling, HCPC, BAAT

Katie Rose

Psychotherapist

MA Integrative Arts Psychotherapy, PG Cert Emotional Wellbeing, BA (hons), Cert Counselling, HCPC, BAAT

Katie holds over 10 years of experience.

Carmen O’Connor, Counselling, CBT therapy, life coach and psychotherapist London. MA Integrative Psychotherapy, BA (hons) Psychology & Criminology, Cert Counselling, Cert Clinical Supervision, UKCP.

Carmen O’Connor

Psychotherapist and Counsellor

MA Integrative Psychotherapy, BA (hons), Certs, UKCP

Carmen holds over 10 years of experience.

Kate Thomlinson, counselling, CBT therapy and psychotherapist London. MA Counselling & Psychotherapy, Adv Dip, UKCP, SEA, CEC.

Kate Thomlinson

Psychotherapist & Counsellor

MA Counselling & Psychotherapy, Adv Dip, UKCP, SEA, CEC

Kate is a highly skilled therapist with over 10 years experience.

Tania Turner, counselling and psychotherapist London. BA (hons) Psychotherapeutic Counselling, Couples Counselling Cert, Mindfulness Cert, MBACP.

Tania Turner

Counsellor & Couples Therapist

BA (hons) Psychotherapeutic Counselling, Couples Counselling Cert, Mindfulness Cert, MBACP

Over 10 years experience in psychotherapy & couples counselling.

Take the First Step Towards Overcoming an Eating Disorder

If you recognize signs of disordered eating, you can take steps to manage your behaviour and develop a healthier relationship with food. Therapy can powerfully help people to develop the skills and capacity to better manage problematic eating impulses and live happier, healthier lives.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if I have an eating issue?
As food is a necessary part of everyday life, you might be unsure if your issues with food and eating is a problem. Some people don’t seek help because they think their problem is not serious enough or they do not feel ‘ill enough’ to have an eating problem. It’s also common for people to turn to eating to boost their mood and avoid painful feelings when experiencing negative or challenging emotions. Such eating patterns sometimes begin in childhood and then persist into adulthood.This can become an unhealthy coping mechanism contributing to further negative feelings. If your relationship with food and eating is affecting your life, talking with a therapist can help.
What is the difference between an eating disorder and eating issues/disordered eating?
Maggie Morrow, counselling, CBT therapy, life coach and psychotherapist London. MSc Integrative Psychotherapy, BSc Psychology, Adv Dip, UKCP.

Get a Therapist Recommendation

Free Consultation: Get in touch for a personal recommendation OR to arrange a free telephone consultation with Maggie Morrow, Award Winning Therapist & KlearMinds Director.

Money back guarantee: 95% of our recommendations are successful. However, if your first appointment doesn’t feel like the right match – let us know. Based on your feedback, we can recommend a free appointment with a different therapist or if you prefer, you can request a refund.

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Author: Maggie Morrow, Award Winning Psychotherapist, Counsellor & Life Coach
Last updated: 9th July 2024

Our Locations

Our Therapy Rooms are near:

Mayfair     –     Soho     –    Harley Street    –    Covent Garden

Quality Standards

Our hand-selected therapists have trained in the UK’s most respected institutions. They hold a minimum of 8 and up to 30 years clinical experience within the NHS, private and/or charitable sectors. They are registered with: